BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

God’s Plan Is Strategic Luke 2:7 says, “And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn” ("AMPC"). This verse contains significant elements: firstborn son, swaddling clothes and even the manger. Have you ever asked yourself why there was no room at the inn? Or whether Joseph should have planned better for their trip? These aren’t pointless questions. They are important for understanding how elaborate and detailed God was in this Redemption plan—your redemption plan. There was no room at the inn for Joseph and Mary, but that was not a mistake. God planned for Jesus to be born in that exact spot—in the manger. There were a lot of stalls for animals in Israel, but there was no place like the manger. Jesus’ birth had to take place in the exact spot where the final sacrificial Lamb of God was to be born. Look at verse 8 in the "AMPC:" “And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.” Our church has visited the Shepherds’ Fields of Bethlehem several times. The Shepherds’ Fields are special—even sacred—because they were used for raising the sacrificial lambs for the Temple in Jerusalem. There were lambs all over Israel. There were fields all over Israel. But there were no fields like those Bethlehem fields. The lambs from the Bethlehem fields were used for the yearly Passover feast, as well as other sacrifices. The lambs in those fields were firstborn lambs living in a protected environment. There could not be a spot or a blemish on them. They had to be completely spotless. The shepherds in those fields weren’t there by accident either. They were highly trained shepherds from the tribe of Levi who were tasked with the responsibility of making sure none of those lambs were hurt, damaged or blemished. Micah prophesied about the Savior being born there: “And you, O tower of the flock, the hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, unto you the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem” (Micah 4:8, "AMPC"). In Hebrew, the phrase “O tower of the flock” translates to Migdal Adair. The word Migdal means “tower.” Adair means “flock or herd.” But let’s look at this more closely. Migdal Adair was a two-story tower. Shepherds would watch over the flocks by night from the top of the tower. They would stand watch to make sure there were no enemies or wild animals coming in. The lower story, the birthing center, was where shepherds would bring the ewes to give birth. That was the specific tower, Migdal Adair, that the prophet Micah referenced. After the lambs were born, shepherds would immediately wrap them in swaddling clothes to prevent them from thrashing around and hurting themselves. The shepherds couldn’t risk them being blemished or damaged because they were born to be a sacrifice. They would wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes and lay them in a stone that had been hewn out—the manger. Then the priest would come and inspect each lamb to make sure it met the full requirement of being pure and spotless. Are you getting a picture of Jesus as the final sacrificial Lamb? He, too, was born to die as a sacrifice for us. He, too, was a firstborn Son who was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. God’s Plan Is Jesus From the time of His birth, until the day He rode into Jerusalem to be crucified, Jesus fit the description of the sacrificial Lamb. Everything He did was a complete and total reenactment of what would happen to any lamb that would be brought to the Passover celebration. Like those sacrificial lambs, He was born in the fields of Bethlehem. He was watched over by Levitical shepherds, taken to the Tower of the Flock, and wrapped in swaddling clothes, just like the sacrificial lambs. Jesus was the firstborn; He was laid in the manger, and He was raised, trained and protected, just like the sacrificial lambs. As soon as Jesus was born, He was destined to die for your sins and mine—and then be raised from the dead so that we could be raised up with Him. He took our place so that we could live eternally with Him. Jesus was the final sacrificial Lamb—the final Passover Lamb! Take hold of this Christmas message, and focus on Jesus with a renewed sense of wonder and thankfulness—recognizing that God’s plans are perfect, purposeful and strategic. Jesus is the Lamb of God who still takes away the sins of the world—for you, for me and for every person who calls upon His Name. Just as God had a perfectly timed plan for Jesus, He has a perfectly timed plan for you. Merry Christmas! V * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Watch “Ode to the Holy Child” performed at EMIC. https://vimeo.com/306680603. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * George Pearsons is CEO of Kenneth Copeland Ministries and senior pastor of Eagle Mountain International Church, located on the grounds of KCM. For more information or ministry materials go to emic.org. BVOV : 25

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